The theory of the earth : containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo till the consummation of all things. The two last books, concerning the burning of the world, and concerning the new heavens and new earth.

  • Burnet, Thomas, 1635?-1715.
Date:
1697
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The theory of the earth : containing an account of the original of the earth, and of all the general changes which it hath already undergone, or is to undergo till the consummation of all things. The two last books, concerning the burning of the world, and concerning the new heavens and new earth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    86/220 (page 60)
    Apbt.;14.10,19 cb. 16.19. cb. ip. 1 i <50 'The {Theory of the Earth. Book ML might have been much longer if it had not been ilopt by the Sea. Many fueh as thefe, and far greater, we ought in reafon to imagin, when all the Earth begins to melt, and to ripen towards a diifolu- tion. It will then be full of thefe Sulphureous juices, as Grapes with Wine 5 and thefe will be fqueez’d out of the Earth into the Sea, as out of a wine-prefs into the Receiver ל to fill up that Cup, as w e faid before, with the wine of the fiercenefs of God's wrath. If we may be allow’d to bring Prophetical paifages of Scripture to a natural fence, as doubtlefs fome of thofe muft that refped the end of the World, thefe phrafes which we have now fuggefted, of the Wine-prefs of the wrath of God. Drinking the fiercenefs of his wine, poured, without mixture, into the cup of^ his indignation, with ex- preffions of the like nature that occur fometimes in the old Prophets, but efpecially in the Apocalypfe; Thefe, I fay, might receive a full and emphatical explication from this date of things which now lies before us. I would not exclude any other explication of lefs force, as that of alluding to the hitter cup or mixt potion that us’d to be given to malefactors: but that methinks, is a low fence when ap- plyed to thefe places in the Apocalypfe. That thefe phrafes figmfie God’s remarkable judgments, all allow, and here they plainly relate to the end of the World, to the laft Plagues, and the laft of the laft Plagues, chap. 16.19. Befides, The Angel that prefided over this judgment, is faid to be an Angel that had power ever fire'. And thofe who are to drink this potion, are faid to be tormented with fire:and hrimflone, ch. 14. 10, This prefiding Angel feems to be our Saviour himfelf (c. 19.15^) who when he comes to execute Divine Yen־ geance upon the Earth, gives his orders in thefe words, Gather the ^.14.18*19. clufters of the Vine of the Barth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And thereupon the Deftroying Angel thrufl in his fickle into the Barth, and gathered the Vine of the Barth, and cafi it into the great Wine-prefs of the Wrath of God. And this made a potion compounded of feveral in- gredients, hut not diluted with water , (ch. 14.10.) and was indeed a potion of fire and brimftone and all burning materials mixt toge- ther. The fimilitudes of Scripture arefeldom nice and exaCl, but ra- ther bold, noble and great ·, and according to the circumftances which we have obferv’d, This Vineyard feems to be the Barth, and this Vintage the end of the World; The preifing of the Grapes into the cup or veife'l that receives them, the diftillation of burning liquors from all paits of the Earth into the trough of the Sea *, and that lake of red Fire, the bloud of thofe Grapes fo flowing into it. ’Tis true, This judgment of the Vintage and Wine-prefs, and the effeds of it, feem to aim more efpecially at fome particular region of the Earth, ch. 14. 20. And I am not againft that, provided the fubftance of the explication be {till retained, and the univerfal Sea of Fire be that which follows in the next Chapter, under the name Of a Sea ofGlafs, mingled with Fire ; This I think expreifes the high- eft and compleat ftate of the Conflagration ; when the Mountains are fled away, and not only fo, but the exterior region of the Earth quite diftolv’d, like wax before the Sun ; The Chanel of the Sea fill’d with a rnafs of fluid fire, and the fame fire overflowing all the Globe, and covering the whole Earth, as the Deluge, or the ״־f .·T;1 firft Τ» K,ΜΛ&ν- μ&ν α,ΚζβΊϋ cb. 16. · יי Kft' ···» ״■ »»1 ־ Λ :!,י. י.